


Not Your Regular Love Story (And I’m Having an Internal Crisis!)

by Crystal_Prisom



Series: The Adventures of (Fem!) Sub-Zero [2]
Category: Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:34:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22897309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystal_Prisom/pseuds/Crystal_Prisom
Summary: Quan Chi has been defeated, but the Earthrealm forces have sustained heavy losses. Liu Kang, Kitana, Kung Lao, and Jade have been transformed into revenants and now reside in the Netherrealm, ruling supreme over the hellish land.As the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, Kuai Liang has a lot on her hands. Working together with the Special Forces, the Lin Kuei and the military organization share a close alliance. She has not heard any word of Scorpion or her brother at the Sky Temple.Now, Raiden calls them all together once again for a crisis that exists out of Earthrealm. In Outworld, without Kitana Kahn to rule over her people, the throne sits abandoned. There are two champions vying for the throne; Kotal Kahn, a God of the sun, and Mileena Kahn, the Edenian-Tarkatan.Now, Kuai reunites with her friends, entering dangerous territory to put a fitting ruler on the throne. But danger lurks around every corner in this treacherous foreign land, and Kuai must keep herself alive in her stay, whilst at the same time warding off attempting suitors that just WON’T leave her alone!
Relationships: Erron Black/Kuai Liang | Sub-Zero, Hanzo Hasashi | Scorpion/Sub-Zero, Kuai Liang | Sub-Zero/Rain, Sonya Blade/Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero/Takahashi Kenshi
Series: The Adventures of (Fem!) Sub-Zero [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1645606
Comments: 9
Kudos: 26





	1. Prologue

_In the Deserts of Outworld..._

Several figures stood in the large expanse of desert land, throwing blows and retreating backward in a display of violence. 

Looking closer, you'd see the figures closely and make out who they were. Kotal, a minor God of the Sun, stood tall whilst brandishing his broadsword that could easily saw someone in half. Opposing him was a feminine figure dressed in pink outwear. This was Mileena, the Tarkantan clone created from Kitana’s DNA.

Standing behind the sun god in support of him were two figures; the last Saurian in existence codenamed Reptile and an unfamiliar mercenary that Kotal had managed to employ under his command. Contrasting this image on Mileena’s behalf were Tanya, the Edenian traitor; Rain, the Edenian prince; and Ermac, the soul construct. They all faced the other warily, exchanging heated glares.

”Outworld is done with Shao Kahn, just as it is done with you, Mileena,” Kotal snapped, irritated with seeing her before him. The tension between the two groups increased with every second that passed by. ”His reign of terror is over, and it must die with you.”

Mileena laughed mockingly, stepping forward threateningly. ”You have no power here, weakling. I have the support of the Outworlders with me. They will carry me to the throne with open arms!”

”Your claim to the throne is void, monster. You are in no way related to Shao Kahn, you are just a perversion of his creations!” Reptile retorted, hissing through his angular teeth.

And with that, the warriors charged at each other, staining the ground with blood.

* * *

”Grandmaster!”

Kuai smiled as she turned, looking down at her pupil. Takeda Takahashi bowed once respectfully before her and then stood up straight once more. 

”What is it, my troubled student?” she asked curiously. 

Takeda had been left in her charge when Kenshi had left the Special Forces temporarily to pursue the Red Dragon. Suchin, his wife, had been murdered by the clan, and he was seeking vengeance for her death. While the news had disturbed Kuai, who saw nothing in that assertion but the pursuit of revenge.

And in doing so, he had abandoned the task of raising his only son, which did not settle right in Kuai’s mind, considering her personal history with her own family. Despite her reservations with Kenshi’s decision, she had taken Takeda under her wing, bringing him up within the family that was the Lin Kuei whilst training him to defend himself. And because of this, Takeda had grown to consider Kuai as a mother figure.

The young boy went up to her as she had turned her back to him, flipping through papers on her desk. He tapped her shoulder, and Kuai turned around in her chair to face him. ”Do you know what day it is?” Takeda questioned.

Kuai feigned ignorance, fully aware of what he was implying. ”Hmm? No, I don't. What day is it, Takeda?”

The pupil frowned grumpily, crossing his arms. ”It’s my birthday!” he grumbled unhappily.

Kuai gasped dramatically. ”What?! You're ten-years-old already?” She got up, ruffling his hair affectionally. ”Happy birthday, kiddo.” From a corner of her desk that was occupied by stacks of books, Kuai brought out an object wrapped in blue wrapping paper. 

Takeda’s eyes widened when he saw the gift, hands reaching out for the present as Kuai handed it to him. He eagerly tore at the paper, a smile breaking out on his face when he saw it. He looked up to Kuai’s face, beaming with happiness. ”This is for me?”

Kuai chuckled, nodding as she knelt to his height. She took the gift, a chain necklace with a polished shark tooth. While they had lived in the isolated tundra of Artika, Takeda had never seen the beach. Kuai would describe it in great detail, bringing back souvenirs from her trips around the world. However, it was the beaches that resonated the most with Takeda, and her description of the animals delighted him. The shark was his favorite animal, and she had given this token to him.

She knew that she had chosen well, seeing the awe-struck look on his face as he studied the item. She stood up, taking his hand as she led him outside her study room. She led him to the armory, closing the door behind them as she let him walk around, looking at all the weapons on display.

”Choose one,” she instructed. ”It’ll be your primary weapon, and I'll be teaching you this for the majority of your lessons.”

Takeda walked around, eyeing the weapons, passing by each one with disinterest. "I don't want to be just like everyone else," he complained. "I wanna do something different. Something special."

Kuai stepped forward. "It's not a bad thing to do the same thing that others are doing. If everyone else is doing the same things, odds are, it works. But, if nothing in here looks good to you..." she walked past him, looking upward in search of a specific item before reaching up and retrieving it. "Here," Kuai said, throwing the coiled whip towards Takeda. "What do you think?"

The student unraveled the wire, eyes widening when he pushed a button on the butt end of the handle, blades expanding outward from the wire with a smooth sound. Kuai laughed at his surprise. "It was an old experimental model," she explained, "developed right before the Cyber Initiative took place. I think the Grandmaster wanted to fit his cyborgs with these but failed to do so in time. When you use these, you'll have a good and reliable weapon with which to attack and defend."

Takeda nodded, continuing to stare in awe at the deadly weapon. "Yeah... I like this." He retracted the sharp edges protruding from the wire, looking up at his teacher with gratitude. "Thank you, Grandmaster."

Kuai nodded once, a gentle smile on her face. "Come on. I'll get the other one down, and we can go outside. Training starts now."


	2. Entry to Outworld (where the environment is NOT ideal for cryomancers)

The day had settled into night, and Kuai sat alone in her study, leafing through the paperwork that had been left abandoned on her desk from the morning.

The clan had celebrated Takeda's birthday with great fervor; Kuai eventually had to call it to a close after one of her clansmen had almost taken out his friend's eye with a champagne bottle cork, which had instead broken a lightbulb. She was all for parties, make no mistake, but at least she had the sense to know when to call things to a close.

Thankfully, Takeda had understood her reasoning for cutting off the celebration early. Kuai was grateful for her student's temperament, which she could describe shortly as "wise beyond his age." It was true; the young boy had an astounding knowledge of the world and how life proceeded. Kuai knew that this could only have been Suchin's work.

Kuai was about to sign a paper when she heard a clicking sound on her window. Jumping slightly, she turned around, seeing a raven pecking repeatedly on the glass. Kuai went quickly to open the window, worried that the glass would break. The raven croaked, lifting one of its legs that had a piece of paper rolled into a scroll. Frowning, Kuai carefully untangled it from the bird, walking inside as the raven flew away silently, blending into the dark sky. She unraveled the piece of paper, sitting down at her desk as she read the message silently. 

_Dear Grandmaster Sub-Zero,_

_Before I begin with this letter, I must express my utmost sincere apology. I seem to have misplaced my communication device and was unable to send you an "E-mail," which would have been undoubtedly more_ _convenient for both of us._

_I am writing this letter expressing my concerns about Outworld's current state. The Elder Gods have informed me that there appears to be a war on the rise, with Mileena and Kotal fighting for the throne. I know that you have been keeping tabs on Outworld, so I will not delve into a deep description of these people since I am aware that you know who they are._

_My main concern lies with the fact that if Mileena manages to secure the throne, that she will follow in her father's footsteps and attempt to take over Earthrealm again. Kotal has previously expressed his desire for peace and coexistence with the realms, and I am sure you find this to be as agreeable as I see it. I have already spoken with Kotal myself, and despite his suspicion towards me, he acknowledges that he is in dire need of aid. I have promised him my support, with the drafting of my best warriors to his aid. I write to you, Kuai Liang, please help secure Kotal's throne alongside the Special Forces. I can not think of another warrior more better-equipped for this mission._

_Please arrive at the Special Forces base as soon as possible. The location is written at the bottom, and General Blade has expressed her desire to have you burn this letter after you read it._

_\- Raiden_

Kuai sighed, shaking her head as she threw the letter into the burning fireplace nearby. Not a lot of time had passed since her last big mission with the Earthrealm defenders, and not too many good memories accompanied it. Still... she could not leave her friends to fend for themselves, especially since they would be in enemy territory. 

She stood up, cursing under her breath. "Now, where did I put my damn bag?" she muttered to herself.

* * *

When she had rebuilt the Lin Kuei, Kuai had had the time to practice more with her powers, experimenting with the limits she could go to maximize her potential. Of the new tricks that she had picked up, a vital and important one had been the ability to teleport from place to place, using her hydromancer powers. While it was still in the developmental stages, Kuai felt that she had managed to work out the mechanics well enough for her to use it in times when she was not under stress, especially since she was not as experienced with it as she could be.

So when she used her powers to bring herself to the Special Forces base, she was completely unprepared to have twenty armed men aim their weapons at her person. In response to this welcoming, Kuai yelped immediately, throwing her arms in the air. "Don't shoot! I'm a friend!"

"Whoa, whoa!" A familiar voice sounded out, calling to the firing squad. "Weapons down! Weapons down!"

Kuai turned around, blinking once in disbelief. "Johnny?" she asked.

The former actor was dressed up in military gear, wearing dog tags and starting to sport greying hair at his temples. Despite the transformations in appearance, Cage was still wearing his trademark sunglasses, which he didn't take off. He grinned cheekily at Kuai. "Hey, Snowflake! How have you been?"

Kuai couldn't stifle the chuckle that escaped from her mouth, moving forward to hug her friend. "Tired. How have you and Sonya been holding up?"

He let go of her, shrugging in response. "Oh, you know. The occasional Black Dragon appearance here and there, but for the most part, it's been pretty uneventful, for the most part." He gestured with his head towards the doors of the base as he led her inside the complex. 

Johnny continued to talk to her as they walked through the halls, moving his hands in the air to illustrate his stories. Kuai listened respectfully, nodding every now and then to let him know that she was listening. Before long, they had reached their intended destination, and Johnny opened the door for Kuai to enter the conference room. The cryomancer walked inside, eyes lighting up upon seeing the occupants. 

Sonya, who had been leaning against the edge of the conference table, was the first to make her way to Kuai. "Hey!" she exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. "There you are!" Kuai laughed softly, returning the gesture. "It's been too long."

Kuai and Sonya separated, both with big smiles on their faces. "Where's Jax?" Kuai asked, looking around the room. Sonya shrugged. "He's not coming on this one. He's spending time with his wife and daughter, Jacqui." Kuai nodded understandingly. At least Jax had the sense to take breaks to take care of his family every now and then. The Grandmaster shifted her focus elsewhere, making her way to the other inhabitant of the room and took her seat next to him. "Kenshi," she addressed, "you and I have a lot to talk about."

The blind swordsman smiled in greeting. "Hello, Kuai Liang," he said, nodding as she took her seat. "How is Takeda?"

Kuai frowned in response, disapproval evident on her face. "That's what I was going to bring up with you. I don't agree with you leaving Takeda with me so that you can go on your 'Scorpion-killing spree,' Kenshi. You should cherish those that are still alive, especially since he is your son!"

Kenshi stared down at the table. "I let myself get carried away by the pain of the loss of Suchin. But I swear to you that after this is over, I will take Takeda back and raise him as I should have been doing." He looked up, turning to face Kuai. "Thank you, Kuai," he said softly, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Kuai nodded once, lifting her hand to remove his from her shoulder. The gesture felt awkward and reminded her of when Hanzo... "It was a pleasure teaching your son," she replied earnestly. "He's very well-tempered."

Kenshi nodded, with a smile on his face at the praise for his son. "Just like his father," he asserted jokingly.

Kuai snorted, shaking her head resolutely. "Umm... no. He's way too serious for him to take after you."

The room buzzed with a bright flash of light, and Raiden stood before them all. "Welcome back, everyone. I am glad to see that everyone is here and getting along," he said, fixing his gaze upon Johnny and Sonya. Upon seeing Kuai's confused face, Sonya spoke up. "We got married," she explained, lifting her left hand to show the golden band, "Our daughter was born about three weeks ago."

Kuai's eyes widened at the revelation of the news. Johnny nodded happily. "Cassie Carlton Cage is her name," he declared proudly, puffing his chest up. "And she's gonna kick ass when she's older." 

Raiden held his hand up for silence and attention. "As you are all well aware, we are all assembled here for a specific reason. Outworld. Kuai, what do your sources know?"

Kuai shifted in her seat, sitting more upright. "Mileena is an Edenian-Tarkatan mix, created in Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits. She was made with Kitana's DNA material and created to replace Kitana as Shao Kahn's daughter. She looks human, but has the mouth of a Tarkatan," she explained. "Backing her up are Tanya, Rain, and Ermac. I'm sure that everyone here knows Ermac," she said, casting a quick glance at Jax, whose face had turned sour as he lifted his right hand to touch his left metal arm, "Tanya is the daughter of an Edenian ambassador, who sold out her realm to Shao Kahn. Rain was an Edenian prince who sold out the Edenian resistance to Shao Kahn because of his thirst for power," Kuai stated. "Tanya is a moderately powerful pyromancer, whilst Rain is a hydromancer, able to control water."

She leaned back in her seat, getting comfortable. "Meanwhile, there's Kotal and his allies. Kotal is a minor Sun God, able to manipulate the rays of the sun. Supporting him are Reptile and a mercenary named Erron Black. Everyone knows Reptile; Johnny beat him in the tournament _("Hell yeah!")._ I don't know much about Black. His past is something that not a lot of people know about," she said, crossing her arms. "Of the three of them, he's the most suspicious figure. I'd watch my back with him if I were you."

Raiden nodded. "Wise words to adhere to. Unfortunately, I will be unable to join you. In Outworld, I will be weak and practically defenseless. I will stop by occasionally to check on your progress, but otherwise, I will be unable to assist you."

Sonya nodded slowly. "That's okay. I think we'll be able to hold up fine," she said, looking around the room. Raiden stood up. "Then that settles it. If everybody is ready, I will bring you to your ally who has already met with Kotal and his group."

* * *

Kuai blinked rapidly, allowing her eyes to adjust to the harsh sunlight. She raised her arm to block out the sun's rays, lowering her arm once she was able to see.

Raiden had brought them into a desert and had promptly left. Kuai was starting to sweat in the heat of the sun already, and she hadn't even moved. She was glad that she had brought her mask, as the circulation was keeping her face cool, at the very least. Upon realizing that the armor she was wearing was going to wear her down, she took off the bulky parts, stuffing them into the last of the space in her pack. She looked to the others, not knowing what to do.

Kenshi turned around multiple times. "Raiden told us to wait for an ally to come and pick us up," he stated. "I wonder how long this will take."

Kuai huffed, sitting down awkwardly on the sand. "Hopefully they get here soon," she said. "My body's not reacting well to the heat."

Johnny looked down at her fatigued figure with concern. "Shit. Are you okay?" Kuai haphazardly waved him off. "Yeah. I'll be fine." 

In truth, Kuai knew that with this extreme climate, she would not last more than an hour in this realm. Thinking quickly as she could, she pulled out her Medallion, drawing the energy from her ancestors. Hearing her plea, Kuai immediately felt the temperature drop around her, forming a sort of icy air cocoon that contained the ideal temperature for her to function normally. She sighed in relief, getting up. _Thank you._

Suddenly, a gust of heat that was more intense than their surrounding environment came, and from the flames emerged none other than Scorpion himself.

Kuai felt her chest start to tighten as soon as she saw him, getting up slowly as the others went to greet him. Scorpion ignored the pleasantries from the others, only looking at Kuai. His gaze elicited a tense reaction from Kuai, but then he looked away, all business and getting straight to the point. "The walk is not too long. I will lead you to Kotal's camp," he said shortly. 

He turned his back to them, walking away from them and expecting them to follow. Sonya and Johnny were on Scorpion's heels, hands linked together, whilst Kuai lagged behind with Kenshi by her side, helping her through the heat. 

"It's okay," Kenshi encouraged her. "He said it's not a long walk." Kuai huffed, a smile breaking out on her face. "I'm fine, Kenshi. And besides, you don't know that it'll be a short ordeal! A mountain trek to him would be a 'walk-in-the-park' for Scorpion. That doesn't mean anything at all." She dragged her feet through the sand, the grains providing sufficient padding under her feet. Still, the blind swordsman straggled behind the group with Kuai, talking with her in a friendly manner.

Kenshi's head tilted upwards upon feeling someone else's gaze on him. He frowned when his blade, Sento, informed him that it was Scorpion looking back at them, fixing a heated glare back at Kenshi. The blind swordsman glared back, moving a hand to place it on her shoulder. _You had your chance._

Kuai, who was talking animatedly about a discovery of ice dragon eggs that she had found, did not notice Kenshi's hand. Scorpion's eyes narrowed even more before he finally turned away, giving up their mental fight for the moment. Kenshi huffed under his breath, trying to erase the haunting thought that he may eventually come to blows with Scorpion later on.

After walking for some time, Scorpion led them down a sand dune into a depression in the land where tents had been set up. He led them to the small assortment of tents, bringing them to the biggest one at the center of the campsite. He lifted the flap, letting each one of them enter the tent. Kenshi was the last to enter, and Scorpion held him back with an extended arm. The blind warrior raised a brow, unimpressed. "Yes?"

Scorpion closed the tent flap, getting into Kenshi's comfort zone. "Stay away from Kuai," he growled in a deep voice. Kenshi crossed his arms defiantly. "You've had your chance," he retorted. "You left her to go rebuild your clan. How could you expect her to not move on?" The Shirai Ryu clenched his hands into fists. "I could not offer her the necessary comfort at that time. I had no reason to be a part of her life at the time."

Kenshi huffed. "She loved you. You should have been there to tell her goodbye, at the very least. You owe her, and in my opinion, you are not meant to be with her." He pushed past Scorpion with his shoulder, making his way inside to join the others, leaving a fuming Scorpion standing outside.

Meanwhile, inside the tent, Kuai stood before Kotal, Reptile, and Black. The sun god, sitting on a throne-like chair, looked down at her and her friends as he studied them critically. "These are the warriors that Raiden sends me?" he asked, a bitter tone in his voice. To Kotal, they looked incapable of handling Mileena and her forces. "Mileena will be able to take the throne from me without any trouble."

Sonya frowned with displeasure. "We are the ones responsible for defeating Quan Chi earlier this year. I think we can handle a measly Kitana-clone."

Reptile hissed with annoyance. "Mileena is no mere copy of Kitana. She is a brute, without mercy or reason, only focused on securing the throne for herself. She does not care how many of her soldiers die in the effort, as long as she gets what she wants."

Johnny stepped up, walking past Sonya. "Didn't I defeat you in the tournament?" he asked coyly. "From what I recall, it was _pretty_ easy."

Kuai was tempted to facepalm herself.

Reptile gave Johnny a look of pure loathing. "That was in the past. I can easily overpower you now, Earthrealmer!" 

Johnny snorted. "Wanna have a rematch?"

Kuai raised up her hands. "Stop! This is getting us nowhere. We are walking around in circles. We are here to help get Kotal on the throne, not to fight amongst ourselves." She turned to Johnny. "In other words, stop comparing dick sizes," she hissed, whacking him over the back of his head.

While Johnny protested in the back, Kuai turned her attention toward Kotal. Knowing that she'd have to keep the relationship between the Earthrealmers and Outworlders intact, she bowed shortly in a display of respect. "Please excuse my friend, Kotal. He rarely thinks before he acts, but it is for this reason that he is remarkable in kombat." 

Kotal leaned back in his chair, pleased with her flatteries. Seeing this as a good sign, Kuai continued to try and appeal to him. "It is true that we all collectively defeated Quan Chi only three months prior. In doing so, we prevented the realms from being coerced to Netherrealm rule. I lost many friends in the fight, but we finished the mission. I know that you may not think that we are capable of standing against Mileena and her forces, but I ask you only for the opportunity to prove our worth."

The sun god leaned forward in his seat. "Perhaps I was too harsh in my judgment," he admitted ruefully. "Please, introduce yourselves."

Kuai looked back towards Sonya, gesturing her to take up the talking. The Special Forces general stood forward as Kuai retreated, pointing out each one of them as she gave the Outworlders their names. "My name is General Sonya Cage of the Special Forces. With me are my husband, Johnny Cage; Kenshi Takahashi, a telekinetic and telepathic user who is also an ally of the Special Forces; Scorpion, the General of the Shirai Ryu clan; and Grandmaster Sub-Zero of the Lin Kuei, a descendant from the royal cryomancer line."

Kotal's head swiveled at Kuai immediately, interest piqued. "The royal bloodline of the cryomancers? I had been informed that they had been wiped out, killed by Shao Kahn's exile."

Kuai bowed her head. "My great-grandmother, Princess Celeste, was able to escape the massacre. I was born decades later with my older brother." She lifted her hands to her face, removing her mask and pulling back her hood. "My name is Kuai Liang," she introduced herself. 

The only one that had reacted to the removal of her mask had been the mercenary, leaning against a wall in the shadows. He moved slightly after giving a jolt of surprise, masking the initial surprise by settling himself into a more comfortable position. But Kuai, having been a trained assassin to read the body language of her targets, did not remain ignorant of his surprise. Looking at the mercenary, Erron Black, Kuai saw that he was paying more attention to her person, and she wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing.

Kotal stood up from his seat, bowing respectfully before Kuai. "I apologize for my rude behavior earlier, Princess Liang. I assume that you are here to retake your throne, then?"

Kuai turned around, looking at her friends with confusion. "Umm, pardon?" she asked hesitantly, turning back to Kotal.

The sun god had a look of surprise on his face before it was replaced with understanding. "Ah, of course. You probably had limited knowledge of your people's existence and history. You see, before Shao Kahn overthrew the rulers of Outworld, the realm had been a kingdom of cryomancers. Ruling over them were your ancestors of the past. With the existence of your people in Outworld, the land was once fertile; the heat of the terrain was subdued by the chill of the cryomancers, creating a perfect balance with beautiful landscapes."

Kuai frowned with a bewildered look on her face. "Wait, I thought that Kitana and her family were the sovereign rulers of Outworld!"

Kotal shook his head in reply. "Kitana and her family ruled over Edenia, which Shao Kahn merged with Outworld. Edenia is now a part of Outworld, making the entire kingdom yours, by default." 

Kuai blinked. "Umm... I don't want to rule over a goddamn realm. I'm already busy with the Lin Kuei; you can have the kingship." From behind her, Johnny frowned. "Why not? You'd have a bunch of people waiting on you and shit like that!" 

"Yeah, but I don't have any experience, Johnny," Kuai replied with an exasperated tone in her voice. "I'd just run the entire place to the ground. And besides, can you picture me in a fucking dress?!" Kuai shuddered just from the thought of it. "I'd be dead before you'd catch me in a fucking dress of all things."

Sonya snorted amusedly. "I can sympathize." The general stepped forward, authoritative air about her. "So then, it's settled. We are all working to put Kotal on the throne and to ensure that Mileena doesn't get there."

Kotal nodded in agreement, sitting back down in his temporary throne. "So it is. Black, escort them to their tents."

The mercenary moved off of the wall reluctantly. "Whatever you say, boss man." He walked down to the Earthrealmers, brushing past them as he exited the tent. "Follow me."

Kuai and the others followed after Black, the sun in the sky replaced with the luminescent moon and a dark sky. From here, the stars were clearly seen without the pollution from Earthrealm's lands. Kuai scanned the camps, seeing other soldiers with similar markings on their skin that Kotal had, with the same blue war paint. _Osh-Tekk warriors._

She came to a stop when their guide stopped walking, having led them to an isolated part of the camp to the side. There were multiple tents set up there, and Kuai knew that they would have to double up to ensure that everyone would be able to sleep in a tent. 

Before Kuai proposed that she could sleep with Sonya, since the same gender should theoretically bunk together, Erron spoke up. "Seeing as there's an odd number of y'all, and each tent can only house two in each one, I'll be sharin' my bunk with the Princess."

Of Kuai's friends, only Kenshi and Scorpion protested loudly. "Absolutely not," Scorpion growled, moving forward to stand in front of Kuai. The protective gesture reminded Kuai of when Hanzo would do the same...

Kenshi stepped forward as well. "That won't be necessary," he emphasized. "I will gladly share my bunk with her." Scorpion turned briefly to glare at the blind swordsman before glaring back toward Black. Sonya looked rapidly between the two, a knowing expression on her face. "I'll tell you after," she whispered to a _very_ confused Johnny.

Erron crossed his arms defiantly. "Now, that's just hurtful. You all don't trust me? I'm sure that Kotal will have something to say about this."

Kuai walked around Scorpion, pushing past Kenshi. "This is stupid," she snapped coldly. "I am perfectly capable of making my own choices. I'm bunking with Black, and that's final." She hoisted her pack over her shoulder in finality, pushing past everyone to the tent that Erron had pointed out was his.

The mercenary chuckled, tilting his hat towards Kenshi and Scorpion mockingly. "Nice try, fellas. Sleep well; I know I'll be." He walked away, leaving to go where Kuai had disappeared.

Both Kenshi and Scorpion glared heatedly at Erron until he disappeared from view. Once he was gone, they turned their attention toward each other, with Kenshi lifting up his index finger. "Remember what I told you earlier," he said in a low voice before he stormed off into a tent, claiming it as his own. Soon after, Scorpion angrily walked into his own tent, choosing one that was different from Kenshi's.

"What the fuck just happened?" Johnny asked, looking at the tents where his friends had disappeared into. "Did I miss something?"

Sonya chuckled. "Scorpion's still hung up over Kuai, but it looks like Kenshi is making his own move on Kuai. Now, they're both butting heads. But now that Erron's starting to take an interest in Kuai, it looks like there's going to be a three-way race for the finish line."

Johnny shook his head. "Wow. I feel bad for her." Sonya frowned, looking at him. "I don't think she knows. But she will, probably by tomorrow. She's always been hyperaware of other people's emotions and whatnot. And before you say anything, I'm going to be bunking with Scorpion. He'll kill you if you bunk with him."

"Great! Just what I was thinking," Johnny exclaimed, eyes wide with fear at the thought of rooming with Scorpion. He leaned in, taking Sonya by surprise as he dipped her and placed a kiss on her lips. "I love you so much."

Sonya huffed, a small smile forming on her face. "Sure. Get off me, you sap."


End file.
